Posts Tagged ‘Challenger’

How do you get a tractor into the middle of Australia’s third largest city? Drive it down a river of course!

Challenger E Series making tracks on the Brisbane River

The long awaited Challenger E series made a dramatic entrance to the Australian and New Zealand region, surprising a gathering of Challenger Dealers on the banks of the Brisbane River.

Built upon three decades of Challenger’s tracked tractor leadership, the industry leading E Series demanded an unveiling that would leave a lasting impression with the dealership team and kick off the launch of this exciting new range with a bang.

Local challenger dealers were invited to a social evening at a restaurant overlooking the Brisbane River in Brisbane’s business district. As guest presenters introduced the new ground breaking E Series with informative presentations and videos, Challenger dealers would have been excused for assuming the evening was following a familiar schedule.

Drifting down the river under the cover of darkness, on a barge set up as a stage, the Challenger E series was poised to disrupt that familiarity.

Arriving at its destination with precision timing, the floating E series nudged closer towards the dealer group now congregating on the restaurant’s balcony and was revealed in a coordinated show of lights, smoke and the beat of ACDC’s thunderstruck.

And thunderstruck the crowd was. The unique unveiling was captured by a contingent of photographers as well as the dealership group and onlookers, with hands quickly diving into pockets in search of iphones to capture the sight.

Speaking after the event, key organiser of the E series launch and Challenger Product Manager Jeremy Duniam said that the evening went as planned.

“There were a couple of dealers that had a suspicion of what was going to happen, but most were stunned when the tractor was lit up and floating only metres from the river bank.”

“It was an exciting way to introduce the exciting new Challenger E Series,” Jeremy said.

SIMA is one of the largest indoor agricultural industry shows in the world. This year, the event focused on a theme of “Innovation First!” and brought together 1,700 companies from 42 countries with an emphasis on three key topics: people and territories, equipment and crops.

AGCO embraced innovations in communication by sharing this year’s SIMA experience through social media. Those who weren’t able to attend the show could follow the #AGCO25 hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, and additional news and videos can be found on the company’s social media portal created specifically for the event.

AGCO, now in its 25th year as a global leader in the agriculture industry, had a powerful presence at SIMA as an exhibitor. The company is living the “Innovation First!” concept through its cutting-edge Fuse™ Technologies — a platform that brings together machines, technology products, support, training and dealer services to ensure that farmers’ operations are optimized, coordinated and seamlessly connected through all phases of the crop cycle.

“As a company focused entirely on agriculture, and as a global business selling and supporting products in more than 140 countries, we’re acutely aware of our responsibility to help farmers everywhere meet the productivity challenges of the future,” said Gary L. Collar, senior vice president, general manager of Asia Pacific.

AGCO is deliberately evolving from being a provider of machines and structures to being a provider of total solutions. Total farming solutions that provide more productivity, efficiency and analytical insight are achieved by using the power of modern technology to create networks in systems that in the past were collections of separate components.

“We plan to be the best in the industry at helping farmers meet the food needs of a growing population,” said Dr. Rob Smith, senior vice president and general manager of Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Increased grain production is a very large part of this. Also very important is the long-lasting and widespread shift toward more protein-heavy diets containing more meat, milk and eggs.”
AGCO is uniquely equipped to serve the world’s farmers. AGCO can plant and harvest grains with its well-known tractors, harvesters and implements. And AGCO can help preserve and protect the grain worldwide in GSI storage and handling systems. AGCO products also assist in the harvest of hay, forages and other livestock feed crops necessary to produce the additional meat, milk and eggs global consumers are demanding. And through GSI, AGCO provides the feeding, watering and livestock production systems needed to produce the desired protein much more efficiently.

During its first 25 years, AGCO was not content to compete primarily in the most developed markets and, therefore, has become an aggressive leader in emerging markets.

AGCO Corporation was one of the first leading manufacturers to stand behind its tractors, combine harvesters and other agricultural field equipment with a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program. Now, AGCO has launched a website that allows customers to shop for equipment they need among the growing list of CPO equipment that participating dealers are selling on-site and posting to the new website.

“It is important that farmers know that an ever-increasing quantity of AGCO-certified used equipment is now available from most AGCO-affiliated dealerships, and it’s also important for them to know that searching for what they need is fast and easy on the new AGCO CPO website,” said Eric Lescourret, AGCO director of Commercial Strategic Initiatives. “The AGCO CPO program provides cover for a wide range of equipment. It gives our customers more choices for premium used equipment with the latest technology and best features at the right price point.”

With the release of the new website for finding CPO machines, AGCO has rolled out the full Certified Pre-Owned program. The program has been in development for more than a year. Starting in 2013, the AGCO CPO program was pilot-tested by 16 dealers and then rolled out to qualifying dealers in 2015. To qualify as CPO, equipment must be thoroughly inspected and reconditioned at 100 to 200 points, depending on the type of equipment.

All AGCO-certified equipment includes an AGCO Protection package. This means any piece of CPO equipment purchased will come with at least one year of comprehensive extended-service coverage that relieves CPO customers of risk from costly repairs. AGCO confidently stands behind these units because of the thorough inspection each unit must undergo. Once it has been inspected, certified, AGCO-trained dealership technicians recondition each piece of equipment as needed.

AGCO equipment available includes models from each of the following brands and product categories:

Challenger®, Massey Ferguson® and Fendt® high-horsepower tractors

Gleaner®, Massey Ferguson and Challenger combines

Hesston® by Massey Ferguson and Challenger self-propelled windrowers

Hesston® by Massey Ferguson and Challenger large square balers

RoGator® sprayers

With the AGCO Certified Pre-Owned program now in full operation, CPO machines have already been sold to customers. Participating dealers are replenishing the equipment offerings on www.agcocorp.com/CPO with multiple new posts every week. Potential buyers are encouraged to check back regularly.

AGCO Protection is for a minimum of 12 months or a predetermined number of hours from the date of purchase if out of base warranty on date of purchase or from the date the base warranty ends if under base warranty on date of purchase, whichever occurs first. Deductible of $250 will be applied per incident. Coverage is limited. Restrictions apply. Please see a participating dealer for restrictions and a full listing of the components covered by AGCO Protection.

AGCO’s Certified Pre-Owned program is only available in North America.

Challenger’s MT775E has been voted as the winner of the Machine of the Year XXL award at the SIMA Show 2015. One of the most prestigious accolades for tractors incorporating innovative technology and overall performance, the selection was made by 19 independent agricultural journalists representing 17 European countries trade magazines.

Built upon three decades of tracked tractor leadership from Challenger, the MT775E’s 9.8 litre, 7 in-line cylinder Tier 4 Final/Stage IV engine not only cuts fuel consumption by up to 5%, but also increases the maximum power by 15% to 438hp (56hp more than the MT765D).

Other MT775E highlights include 25% extra engine torque (1921Nm), a 43% increase in hydraulic oil flow (321lit/min), and the 53% larger fuel tank (659-litres) allows operators to spend more time in the field between refills for even higher levels of productivity.

The maximum ballasted weight of the tractor has risen 8% from 16,329kg to 17,690kg, and the belt contact area is increased 13% by 4.21m². This all adds up to 157% more for the MT775E when compared to the previous benchmark MT765D tracked tractor.